The present invention relates to cargo clamps, and more particularly, to cargo clamps and mating truck bed liners to which the clamps are secured to limit the movement of the cargo thereon.
Transportation of large, unsecured goods or payloads in shipping and transport vehicles such as trucks, vessels and other movable vehicles, creates a hazard due to object shifting movement during transport. To prevent this hazard, such objects are typically fastened to the walls of the vehicle with straps or ropes, which requires convenient attachment points for both the article transported and on the floor and the wall surface of the transport vehicle. Such strap or rope securing requires multiple fastening points, is tedious, difficult to quickly set up and undo if access to the articles are required. As a result, goods, and especially smaller packages and items are carried unsecured due to the inconvenience of securing the goods.
When smaller truck, e.g. xe2x80x98pick-upxe2x80x99 style truck is used, the interior floor, or xe2x80x98bedxe2x80x99 is often lined with a rigid formed heavy plastic aftermarket bed liner to protect the interior of the truck bed, and to add a perceived improved aesthetic effect. The bed liner often reduces the friction between the transported articles and the truck bed as well as covering convenient points which would serve to anchor the transported article, discouraging the securing of the goods. Thus, the truck bed liners often exacerbate the pickup truck operators"" problems of securing goods, who place a premium on ease of operation while not detracting from the usefulness or esthetics of the aftermarket truck products used. Moreover, movement between the container of the flammable material and the bed liner can generate static electricity which could cause combustion and explosion of flammable material such as from a small gas can, especially in closed-in pick-up trucks.
The cargo clamp and bed liner anchoring system according to the present invention includes a pick-up truck bed liner and one or lever-operated clamp which placed against the transported article or goods and engages the bed liner to secure the article or goods to the truck bed. According to the present invention, the truck bed liner typically has regularly spaced protrusions extending outward from the plane of the bed liner, which are grasped by the clamp(s). Typically, the bed liner comprises a corrugated polymer having regular corrugation intervals of 1-3 inches. The regularity of the corrugated interval permits the clamp(s) according to the present invention to be attached virtually anywhere within the field of uniform corrugation. The clamp includes cam lever operated pairs of confronting jaws which engage or capture the bed liner protrusions. Moreover, the clamp(s) according to the present invention provide anchoring points to further secure the goods. Thus, the clamp and anchoring system according to the present invention provides high utility while maintaining ease of use and complementing the aesthetics of the bed liner.